CHITTENANGO, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Thursday, July 16 marked day five of the 28th annual Cycle the Erie Canal Bike Tour.

The eight-day, 400-mile ride started in Buffalo on Sunday, July 12, and wraps up in Albany on Sunday, July 19. Nearly 600 cyclists rolled through different parts of Central New York today, taking a quick break in Chittenango Thursday morning.

Some cyclists told NewsChannel 9 the wildfire smoke hasn’t been an issue. Instead, it’s actually helped keep the ride much cooler.

“For the last couple days, we have noticed the cloud cover, the overcast. Yesterday was the most significant day. We could tell a little bit of a difference, but for us it actually blocked the sun, which made it much more comfortable in the shade, and it didn’t give us that scorching heat like the day before,” said Jeff Robinson, cyclist from Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Cathy and Jamie Skutovich of Windsor, Ontario, said the ride was much better compared to the first few days in, after pedaling through the extreme heat on Tuesday.

“It keeps it cooler. I want to say it was probably 10 to 15 degrees cooler from the prior day, like when we rode yesterday. So you could notice a difference. It was quite pleasant,” said the Skutovich couple.

Erica Schneider, the Policy & Planning Manager at Parks & Trails New York, said the heat forced some riders to call it quits early.

“Some folks with the heat have gone home a little early, but most of our riders are still here, having a great time, and everyone is in really good spirits,” said Schneider.

Cyclists on the tour are from 37 states and Canada. The youngest rider is eight years old, and the oldest is 86.

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